Why Mental Health Awareness Month Matters

Each May, Mental Health Awareness Month reminds us of something too often overlooked—that mental health is just as important as physical health. 

This is especially true for kids and teens who are in their formative years of social and emotional habits and developing coping skills to manage life challenges.

But Mental Health Awareness Month is not just about raising awareness of pediatric mental health challenges. It’s about reducing stigma, encouraging families to seek help earlier, spotlighting paths to care, and recognizing that children and families should not have to struggle alone, without the mental health support that they need.

A National Crisis in Pediatric Mental Health

When it comes to pediatric mental health, early intervention can shape a lifetime. And yet, many kids who need help aren’t getting it.

• 1 in 5 children in the U.S. lives with a mental, emotional, or behavioral disorder.
• Among high-schoolers, 40% felt persistently sad or hopeless in 2023 and 20% seriously considered suicide.
• Pediatric societies call this a national emergency and urge faster access to evidence-based care.

Yet, only about 20% of children with treatable mental health conditions receive care from a mental health provider. That leaves millions struggling with issues like anxiety, ADHD, and depression—conditions that can interfere with school, relationships, and self-esteem.

According to a Child Mind Institute Children’s Mental Health Report, “Half of all psychiatric illness occurs before the age of 14, and 75 percent by the age of 24.” Early intervention is key—left untreated, mental health concerns in childhood can grow into long-term challenges in adulthood.

Reducing Stigma Starts With Conversation

Stigma can be a deep-seated barrier between a struggling child and getting them the help they need. Many families hesitate to seek therapy or psychiatry because they fear judgment, blame, or having their child negatively labeled.  And teens or young adults may be uncomfortable opening up to their parents about struggling with anxiety, depression, or relationship concerns.

What Pediatric Mental Health Stigma Looks Like

• Public stigma – hurtful labels or judgements. For example, “He’s just acting out” or “She’s just trying to skip school.”
• Self-stigma – a child thinking, “Something is wrong with me” or “People will make fun of me if I need help.”
• Structural stigma – limited insurance coverage or long waitlists that send an “it’s not that important” message.

How Parents Can Help Reduce Stigma

• Name your own feelings out loud. Use plain words like “stress,” “worry,” or “sad” to show emotions are normal and okay to talk about. 
• Kids will hear about or see mental health portrayed in the media. As a parent, you can provide a healthy perspective on mental health to counteract inaccurate or sensationalized ones.
• Swap labels for behaviors. Try “He’s feeling anxious” instead of “He’s an anxious kid.”
• Listen without judgment to your teenager’s concerns about mental health counseling. They may worry that you will be disappointed in them, they might be afraid to move forward, concerned about cost, or have general anxiety about the process.
• Model help-seeking. Book your own mental health check-up and offer hope by talking about how mental health concerns are treatable.
• Celebrate progress, not perfection. Praise the first deep breath, not just the A-plus day.

The Path to Mental Health Can Start With a Simple Conversation 

It’s okay to reach out and explore options. Whether it’s a free consult with a care provider like Fort Health to find out more about pediatric therapy, or taking the step of booking an appointment to get care started quickly. It’s okay to get help with the hard stuff!

Why Early Intervention: Timing is Everything

• Early intervention allows children to learn coping strategies, build self-awareness, self-esteem, and gain tools to manage their emotions at a time when their brains are still developing. 
• Seeking early mental health treatment for mild to moderate concerns—like attention issues, disruptive behavior, or anxiety—can help avoid more challenging problems in the future.
• Delaying care can deepen distress and worsen concerns. Long waitlists, sometimes 8-12 weeks for therapy and even longer for psychiatry, add more strain. For kids, weeks can feel like months, and months can feel like years.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, long wait times are one of the most significant barriers to timely mental health care. Early attention, especially for mild to moderate symptoms, can prevent escalation and improve outcomes dramatically.

Mild to Moderate Mental Health Concerns in Kids, Teens, and Young Adults

Children, teens, and young adults can experience a range of mental health challenges that are considered mild to moderate. These issues may interfere with a child’s daily functioning, emotions, or behavior but don’t typically require hospitalization or emergency care. These concerns can benefit from structured support like therapy, psychiatry, and, when appropriate, medication.

The Most Common Mild to Moderate Mental Health Concerns Include:

• Anxiety: Worry that interferes with school, sleep, or relationships. Cognitive Based Therapy (CBT) and mindfulness-based interventions can help kids learn to manage their fears.
• Depression: Persistent sadness, irritability, or loss of interest. Therapy helps children explore emotions and reframe negative thought patterns.
• ADHD: Inattention, impulsiveness, or hyperactivity. A mix of behavioral strategies, coaching, and sometimes medication can help with executive function.
• Disruptive behaviors: Including defiance, aggression, or meltdowns. Therapy often focuses on emotion regulation and social skills.
• Sleep issues: Difficulty falling or staying asleep. Therapy can address the stress or anxiety that often sits beneath the surface.
• Grief and loss: Whether it’s a grandparent or a pet, children experience real grief. Therapy gives them the language and support to process loss.
• Co-occurring issues: Many children experience multiple overlapping concerns that require a thoughtful, integrated approach.

Research shows that evidence-based therapies for mild to moderate mental health conditions in children and adolescents can lead to improvements in daily functioning, academic performance, and family relationships. The earlier the intervention, the better the outcome.

Why Online Therapy Works for Kids and Families

The pandemic shifted many families toward telehealth—but what started as a necessity has proven to be a convenient, accessible, and successful long-term solution for many.

Parents often ask: What does virtual therapy look like for a 7-year-old? A teenager? Online therapy is facilitated by easy-to-use technology, it’s interactive, age-appropriate, and evidence-based.

Studies Show That Virtual Care is Effective for Children With Mild to Moderate Conditions 

For example, for psychiatry the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry reports:

• The evidence base supporting the delivery of telepsychiatry services to children and adolescents has been developing incrementally.
• Telepsychiatry services have been successfully utilized with diverse populations across diagnoses and settings.
• Multiple studies have demonstrated the feasibility of delivering varied treatments to youth and families through telepsychiatry.
• Referring providers, psychiatrists and families report high satisfaction with telepsychiatry services.
• The ability to establish a therapeutic rapport with youth and families through telepsychiatry is well established.

Virtual pediatric mental health care is not only effective, it also addresses access issues 

• Families in rural areas or with busy schedules are more likely to attend sessions when they can join from home. 
• Parents are more engaged, too—especially in sessions with younger children, where involvement is essential to progress. 
• Shy kids often open up faster in a familiar home environment.

For many families, virtual therapy is the ideal way to get the support they need. The approach depends on the child—but it always includes building trust, creating a safe space, and setting practical goals.

Families Need Support, Too

When a child struggles, the whole family feels it. That’s why therapy often includes parent coaching or family sessions. Supporting the parent-child dynamic is a key part of long-term success.

Parent coaching helps caregivers understand their child’s needs, set boundaries, manage behavior, and stay calm during tough moments. It’s about equipping families with the tools to support growth, well-being, milestones, and mental health progress at home.

Fort Health has a free parent coaching for anxiety course because anxiety is the most common mental health challenge that children face and parents play a critical role in helping them cope.

Partners in Care: Pediatricians and Teachers

Pediatricians are often the first to notice when something is off, especially when a parent is stressed or shares their concerns about behavior like school refusal, sleep changes, anxiety, depression, too much time on screens, and other concerns. 

But pediatricians are not always equipped to manage ongoing mental health treatment—and often lack a trusted referral partner that can provide quality mental health care quickly.

That’s where a partnership with behavioral health providers like Fort Health can make all the difference. Pediatricians can refer patients quickly, get updates on how their patient is doing, and know their families are receiving evidence-based care.

Teachers, too, are on the front lines. They see the withdrawal, the tears, the outbursts. They also need trusted referral options to help students achieve the best mental health outcomes and help set them up for success.

Online Therapy and Psychiatry to Help Every Child Thrive

Fort Health is making high-quality, evidence-based pediatric mental health care quickly accessible with:

• Online digital scheduling
• 50+ clinicians available for virtual sessions
• Appointments available within 3 days - often sooner by phone
• Collaborative care with pediatricians and easy referrals
• Most major insurance plans accepted in the states we serve

Our model is simple yet effective: meet families where they are, support pediatricians and educators, and ensure no child falls through the cracks.

This is Mental Health Awareness Month, but pediatric mental health happens all year long.

Every child deserves the opportunity to thrive, and every family deserves access to timely, effective, and compassionate mental health support. That’s why we built Fort Health—to be a trusted partner to pediatricians and a lifeline for families navigating pediatric mental health challenges.

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The information above is educational and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified medical provider about mental-health concerns.

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